REPORT| BOXING DAY BLUES AS BANTAMS BEATEN BY PETERBOROUGH

The Bantams weren't left in festive high spirits after a defeat at the hands of Peterborough United this Boxing Day afternoon. Danny Lloyd's smart angled finish into the bottom corner gave Grant McCann's side the lead just before the quarter-hour mark and just after the half-hour mark, Jack Marriott's header extended his side's lead. Stuart McCall's men applied the pressure from the start of the second half in an attempt to get back into the game and although Paul Taylor managed to get onto the scoresheet with a 25-yard rocket, by then Marriott had already added his second and United's third.

In truth, United's front three of Marcus Maddison, Jack Marriott and Danny Lloyd looked a threat from the first whistle and after Maddison ran at Tyrell Robinson with intent, he slipped the ball to Danny Lloyd who forced a smart save from Rouven Sattelmaier.

Lloyd was probably Peterborough's best player in the first half and he started a move which ended with a Marriott chance after Michael Doughty's skilful flick into his path but the league's leading scorer was denied by Sattelmaier who once again made an important save the keep the score goalless.

Seconds later though, the first goal of the game did come and it was a Peterborough one. Lloyd was picked out inside the penalty area in plenty of space and although the angle was a reasonably tight one, the former Stockport County frontman lashed the ball emphatically into the bottom corner; Sattelmaier stood no real chance of keeping that one out.

Lloyd was at it again shortly afterwards and after ghosting past Tony McMahon he worked the ball onto his left-foot and hammered a thunderous shot off the outside of the post. The visitors merely a lick of paint away from doubling their advantage midway through the first half.

Paul Taylor was coming up against the team he left in the summer and he came close to scoring against his former employers with City's first trouble-causing opportnity. The Liverpudlian forward curling his shot inches wide of the bottom corner.

Just after the half-hour mark, Peterborough doubled their lead. The ball was worked to the left-hand side into the feet of Maddison and his cross was expertly accurate and into the path of Marriott inside the box to power a header into the roof of the net past Sattelmaier.

Taylor was without doubt City's brightest spark once again after a decent performance at AFC Wimbledon last weekend and he was denied a goal with his next opportunity. He did well to turn away from Doughty after picking up a pass from McMahon, but his goal-bound attempt was blocked well by Andrew Hughes.

Tyrell Robinson put his pace to good use to stand up Alex Penny before getting the better of him but after a surge towards the edge of the Peterborough box, his eventual shot lacked the direction to cause a problem and it sailed over the bar harmlessly.

Shay McCartan was brought on as a substitute at the interval along with Timothee Dieng and the duo played their part in trying to break Peterborough down early in the second half with the crowd up and the pressure being applied on the visitors.

The Northern Irish forward brought a save from Jonathan Bond early in the half and Dieng had a header held onto the United stopper after being picked out by Matthew Kilgallon's cross and then he tried his luck with a shot from distance which sailed comfortably over the bar. Robinson too, had an attempt which was heading towards goal blocked and then kept out superbly by Bond - that was a real opportuity to half the deficit and amend the direction in which the game was heading.

Midway through the second half, Marriott scored his second of the afternoon to virtually put the result beyond any doubt. Maddison showed a real moment of quality to carve City open with a lofted through ball which left Robinson running towards his own goal and within a split second Marriott lofted the ball over Sattelmaier to find the net.

Dieng was at the heart of the action throughout the second half and after helping create a chance for Taylor to force a save from Bond, he then rose above his man to latch onto Tony McMahon's free-kick into the box and head the ball wide of the target at the far post.

Robinson came close after latching onto Nicky Law's pass, but his shot failed to hit the target after he had rode a challenge and then cut inside onto his right foot; with City's next chance of the afternoon came the only goal for the Bantams and it was a special strike by Paul Taylor who found the top corner with a shot from 25 yards.

The visitors did well to see out the remainder of the game unscathed despite a bombardment of hopeful balls into the box. City's penultimate home fixture of 2017 ending in defeat, can Stuart McCall's men end the calendar year on a high with the visit of Oxford United at the weekend.